Star Trek: Lineage Ch. 01

Let me begin by saying that I am a dedicated fan of Star Trek. Unlike most Science Fiction, it is utopian, not dystopian, showing not only that science and technology can make our lives better, but that we can build a better, fairer, more tolerant world.

This is the first in what I hope will be a long, emotional story of life and love aboard a starship, written with that message in mind.

I plan for most of the sex in this series to be lesbian in nature, but I may make some exceptions. As always, I would love any (constructive) feedback you have.

Chapter 1

Shakedown

Shadows crept slowly across the wall of the observation deck, ghostly figures cast against the bulkhead of an empty ship. The room was lit by the first light of the morning sun, rising over the Atlantic Ocean. The room was empty, totally devoid of life, like the rest of the ship high above San Francisco. Her corridors no longer echoed with the footsteps of her crew. Main Engineering was silent, the constant hum of her engines gone. The beating heart of the ship was at last still. The weapons stores were empty, as no battles remained in her future. The shuttle bay was stripped, the few remaining fighters forever without pilots. The transporter room was dark, with no new worlds to explore. The Bridge was still. There was no one on watch, no tasks to be performed, and no missions to complete. On the entire ship, only one living thing still remained. In the captain's ready room, a lone figure sat in the dark, quiet and dignified. A single Vulcan woman, a veteran officer, sat saying goodbye to longest serving ship in Starfleet history. She was the last captain of the Athena.

*******

Earth, 2293

Sahar shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She vastly preferred transporters to taking a shuttle into orbit. Something about the switch from real to artificial gravity always turned her stomach, and this was no exception. At least there's no turbulence, she thought as she closed her eyes, trying to settle her gut. Eventually, the shuttle cleared the atmosphere and began the short trip to Mars. The pull of Earth's gravity faded, but Sahar's stomach refused to relax. She leaned forward and looked out the cockpit window. Among the brilliant stars, she could pick out a bright red spot directly ahead of the craft, slowly growing brighter. She leaned back and shut her eyes again. Her nerves took over the job of making her sick. Her thoughts were interrupted by a calm, even voice across the aisle from her.

"Are you ill, Ensign?" Sahar looked up into a dark emotionless face. Sahar had hardly noticed the other passenger when she boarded the shuttle at the Academy. The person had been sitting motionless in their seat, and Sahar had assumed they were asleep. The woman in front of her was slightly built, with short, black hair, darkly tanned skin, and dark brown eyes. The sharp, angular face, unusually high cheek bones, and near total lack of facial expression identified her as a Vulcan.

"I'm fine. Just nervous. This is my first posting," Sahar said.

"You have been adequately trained. There is no reason to expect below average performance."

"Uhh. Thanks," Sahar said. "How about you?"

"This is my first posting as well," the Vulcan responded. Sahar examined her uniform. It was in pristine condition. Figures, she thought. The gold trim on her uniform identified her as an Engineer. Her own uniform bore the dark olive green worn by Security Officers.

"Sahar Tehrani," she said, extending her hand.

"Suvak," the woman answered as she shook it. The two young officers sat talking for the next half hour. They shared Academy experiences, discussing their instructors, squads, and courses. Suvak's calm demeanor helped ease Sahar's nerves, and she found the rest of the flight enjoyable, or at least less unpleasant. The conversation was eventually interrupted by the pilot.

"Athena, Academy Shuttle delta 59 requesting permission to land."

"Delta 59, permission granted. You are clear to land in the Main Shuttlebay."

"Affirmative, Athena."

Sahar again leaned forward to look out the cockpit window. The stars had been replaced by the brilliant red of the Martian surface, but her eyes fixated on the structure directly in front of the shuttle. Hanging in space above the planet was a massive starship construction platform. The platform, itself less than 2 years old, was nearly a kilometer long, and more the 600 meters wide, dwarfing the shuttle. A long spine-like structure ran the length of the platform. A network of support structures extended down from either side of the spine. Attached to the bottom of the spine, between the support structures, lay the shuttles destination. She was one of first of the new Excelsior class ships. The design was sleek, at least compared to other starships. Sahar stared in awe. It's glorious, she thought. As the shuttle neared the ship, she could make out the designation written on the saucer section: NCC-2017 USS Athena.

Within moments, the shuttle set down in the main shuttle bay. Sahar stood, reaching for her bag. "Guess we're here," she said.

******

USS Athena, Deck 32, Main Shuttlebay

Sahar parted ways with Suvak and entered the nearest turbolift. "Deck 7," she said, and the computer acknowledged her with a beep. She had memorized the layout of the ship as soon as she was given the assignment. Most new Academy graduates are assigned to an old frigate or transport ship, not a state-of-the-art multirole battlecruiser. She had at first thought there had been a mistake, but decided not to question her orders. This was a mistake she thankful for. The turbolift stopped and the doors opened. Sahar lifted her bags and exited.

Walking down the corridor, she was overcome by a sense of disbelief. I can't believe I am actually here, she thought. Sahar came from a family filled with Starfleet officers. Her parents had met while serving together, and her older brother was a Lieutenant serving on the Miranda. She had entered Starfleet Academy at age 18, and graduated with honors three years later. Still, she felt intimidated by the task in front of her. Sahar knew that expectations on a frontline ship would be high, and there would be little room for error.

At last, she reached her destination: the Security Chief's quarters. Sahar reached out to the control panel and pressed the button to request entry. "Enter," said a deep, masculine voice with a think English accent. The door slid open and Sahar stepped inside. Sitting at a desk in front of her was a large, dark skinned man, staring down at the reports piled on his desk. She walked up to the desk and dropped her bag.

"Ensign Sahar Tehrani, reporting for duty, sir," she said, standing at attention.

"At ease, Ensign," the man said, not looking up from his desk. "I am Lieutenant Commander James Fuller, Chief of Security. Welcome aboard,"

"Thank you, sir," she said, relaxing her shoulders. Her stomach, on the other hand, chose to remain tense.

"I understand this is your first assignment, Ensign,"

"Yes, sir. I just arrived from the Academy,"

"I read your file. Parents are both retired officers. Entered the Academy at 18. Graduated with honors. Qualified as an expert marksman and excelled in hand to hand combat. Promoted to squad leader. You seem to be well qualified. I am sure you will not disappoint," Fuller said, at last looking up. "Good god, woman, breathe! You're turning blue. I don't want you passing out in my bloody quarters," he said when he saw Sahar's race.

"Sorry, sir," Sahar said, at last exhaling.

"Don't apologize, just stay conscious," he said. "Here is your duty assignment. Leave your things in your quarters and report to Lieutenant Tokada in half an hour. Dismissed."

"Aye, sir," Sahar said lifting her bag. She left the room and headed back to the turbo lift. "Deck 5, Junior Officer Quarters," she said. The journey was over in a few moments, and the doors opened again. Sahar stepped out of the turbolift a headed for her quarters, but she quickly became lost. From her bag, she retrieved the data pad given to her when she boarded and tried to find herself on the ship map.

"Lost?" said an amused voice behind her. Sahar spun around in surprise, nearly striking the woman with her bag.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. Especially not Security Officers."

"Sorry," the woman smiled. She was slightly shorter than Sahar, with light gray eyes. Her dirty-blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail that extended just below her shoulders. A trail of small brown spots ran down the sides of her head and neck. Sahar immediately recognized her as a Trill. "Need help?"

"Yeah. I am looking for my quarters."

"You forgot where your quarters are? Did you have a late night?" the woman raised an eyebrow suggestively, making Sahar chuckle.

"No, this is my first assignment. Ensign Sahar Tehrani," she said, extending her hand.

"Yeah, mine too. But I like my idea better," she snickered as she shook Sahar's hand. "Ensign Casana Olan. Now, where are you heading?"

"Room 18."

"Really? I'm quartered in 18, too. It's just down the hall here." Casana led Sahar down the hallway and into their quarters. "Allow me to give you the tour," she said as they entered the room. "This is the living area," she said, pointing to a small table in one corner of the room. Padded benches built into the wall surrounded it on two sides and a pair of chairs was pushed in under the other two. "The chairs are so comfortable that don't always think you're sitting in the brig." Sahar found Casana's humor comforting, if somewhat odd. "The beds are there," Casana motioned to the two sets of bunk beds against the far wall. "This one's mine," she said, patting one of the top bunks. "Danny sleeps on the other top one, so I guess you're on the bottom. There are footlockers next to the bunks, and we each have a locker over there. They-"

"Whoa, slow down," Sahar was having trouble keeping up with Casana. "Who's Danny?"

"Danny? Oh, he's an engineer. I think he's a transporter officer."

"And he's quartered here?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Now, what were you saying about the lockers," Sahar said as slowly and calmly as possible, hoping it would encourage Casana to do the same. It did not.

"The wall lockers, right. They can be locked, so put anything you don't want me nosing through in there," Casana smiled mischievously, nodding to a row of four large storage lockers. She then crossed to the other side of the room. "If you would step this way," she said, gesturing extravagantly to a door across the room from the lockers. Sahar walked through the doorway, finding herself in the head. "This is our luxurious spa. It is complete with all the amenities of a Klingon prison, with marginally less slave labor!" Casana said with mock enthusiasm. "Well," she said, returning to the main room, "This concludes our tour. Do you have any questions?"

"I didn't know that the Excelsior's had tour guides."

Casana smiled broadly. "Just this room."

"I see."

"Anyway, you go ahead and get settled in. I'm going to take a shower before I report for duty."

Sahar sat on the bunk below Casana's. Reaching into her bag, she retrieved her most valued possession. She passed her thumb over the letters embossed on the book's cover: The Holy Qur'an. Her mother had given it to her when she left for the Academy. They were both devout, although Sahar was not. She sat there for several minutes, staring at the book. As she felt the old leather in her hands, her tension and nervousness melted away. Her thoughts were interrupted when Casana came bouncing into the room.

"Wait till you try the sonic shower out!" she squeaked. As she reached behind her head to tie her hair back again, the door opened, and Suvak entered.

"Greetings, Ensign Tehrani. I did not realize that you were quartered here as well," she said when she saw Sahar.

"I guess they want us together for now," Sahar said. Then she remembered Casana. Oh, this is gonna be interesting, she thought as she stood. "Ensign Suvak, this is Ensign Casana Olan."

"Greetings," Suvak said.

"Hi! You want the tour?" Casana said enthusiastically. Sahar stepped back, trying to observe the interaction without becoming involved.

"Tour?" Suvak sounded confused.

"Yeah. Of the quarters," Casana answered.

"No. I am familiar with the configuration of quarters on Excelsior-class vessels."

"Come on, it'll be fun. I promise you-"

Casana stopped mid-sentence as the door again opened. A tall, muscular man with short, graying brown hair walked in. He stared silently at the three women for a moment. His uniform had the gold trim of an engineer, and the bars on his cuff indicated at least 25 years of service.

"Hey, Danny, have you-"

"Attention on deck!" he yelled commandingly. Instinctually, all three snapped to attention. "Just kidding," he laughed. This ship is full of crazy people, Sahar thought. "I see the rest of our bunk-mates have arrived."

"Danny, this is Sahar and Suvak."

"Lieutenant Daniel Ben-David," he smiled, shaking hands with each of them. "What's your last name, Sahar?"

"Tehrani, sir." Sahar was still half at attention.

"Call me Danny. Sahar Tehrani, huh? Where are you from?"

"Isfahan."

"Really? My brother-in-law runs a little restaurant in Isfahan."

"What's the name? I might know it."

"Oh, I've never been there. He's a horrible cook," Danny smiled. "Anyway, I wanted to stop by and introduce myself before you report for duty."

"Why have you been quartered with us, sir?" Suvak asked.

"You three are the only first-timers on-board, so the Captain wanted someone experienced to help you get used to life on a starship."

"But, as Academy graduates, we are fully prepared for service on a starship. We are well trained, and are proficient at our assigned duties. It is thus logical to assume that we are prepared for this assignment."

"Yeah. Hold on to that thought," Danny grinned.

******

Deck 5, Crew Quarters, 0730 hours

"Deck 19, Armory," Sahar said as she entered the turbolift. Her previous nervousness was mostly gone. She was certain she could perform her duties well, but she was still concerned about who she was quartered with. Individually, they were likable, and Sahar could see herself getting along with all of them. The problem was with each other. Sahar was reasonably confident that Suvak would be tempted to strangle Casana within a few days. Her duties could be stressful, and Sahar would have preferred a quiet place to rest after duty. The last thing she wanted was to get back from a long shift, only to be caught between feuding roommates.

The turbolift door opened, interrupting her thoughts. Directly across the hall was the Main Armory, which served as the briefing area for the security personnel that were stationed in the midsection of the ship. Inside, Sahar examined the room.

The right side of the room was a locker area. It consisted of rows of storage cabinets, each one with a security lock. Several crewmen were sitting on the benches between the lockers, talking and examining their equipment. On the opposite side was an equipment maintenance area. Several workbenches, scanners, and tool lockers lined the walls. In the center of the wall was a large door marked with the words "FIRING RANGE". Directly in front of her was the quartermaster's desk. The quartermaster, an Andorian, was sitting behind the desk, talking to a lean, athletic Asian man.

"Lieutenant Tokada?" she asked.

"Yes?" the man said, turning to face her.

Sahar stood at attention. "Ensign Sahar Tehrani, reporting for duty, sir."

"At ease, Ensign," he said. "This is your first assignment, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, sir."

"I am placing you with Senior Chief Petty Officer Zula. I served with her on the Rommel. She's experienced and level headed. You'll learn a lot from her. Also in your detachment will be Chief Petty Officer Sedaris and Crewman Black. You are responsible for decks 14 and 15," he said.

"What are the priority areas on that deck, sir?"

Tokada walked around the desk to a large screen on the wall behind it, which showed a cut-away of the ship. He switched the display setting, and a schematic of deck 15 appeared. "The only high security area is the Forward Torpedo Bay, which holds the majority of the ships photon torpedoes. It's located here, between the two upper forward launchers," he said, pointing to the display. "The bay extends up into deck 14, but the controls and the only access points are on deck 15. The torpedoes aren't armed with antimatter until they are actually in the tube, so the torpedoes themselves aren't dangerous. A saboteur can't arm and fire a torpedo without the bridge and main engineering noticing, but they can fuck with the any of the loading, arming, and firing mechanisms, thus disabling the launcher."

"Anything else, sir?" Sahar asked, paying careful attention.

"A secondary target would be the Aft Phaser Banks, also on that deck. Without any moving parts, disabling them would be difficult, but it's still possible. Deck 14 is mostly storage, but also has one of the Exobiology Labs. Go it?"

"Yes, sir"

"Good." As they had been talking, other security personnel had been filing into the room. Numerous conversations filled the room, making it difficult for Sahar to hear. "Okay, time to get started." Tokada said to Sahar. "Attention on deck!" he yelled. The conversations immediately stopped as the crewman organized into ranks. In a matter of seconds the room was silent. Each man stood at attention, facing Tokada.

"Excellent. My name is Lieutenant Tokada. I am the ranking security officer responsible for everything from Main Engineering forward on decks 12 through 26. It is our job to ensure the safety of the heart of this ship. We are responsible for most of the ships torpedo launchers, Main Engineering, the Battle Bridge, the Main Armory, the Exobiology Labs, and the Astrophysics Labs. The other two security areas are the saucer section and the aft decks. Lieutenant Goph is responsible for the head. Lieutenant McCloud is responsible for the ass." A chuckle went through the room.

"We are based out of this room, the Main Armory. It contains a firing range, equipment maintenance area, the quartermaster's post, and your equipment lockers. All of your security equipment is stored in those lockers," he said, pointing to the lockers. "Your locker will have your name on it. The access code will be the last six digits of your service number. Change the code as soon as possible. When on duty, you are required to wear your body armor and carry your sidearm."

"There are 30 of you to cover 15 decks for 8 hours. To do this, I am splitting you into teams of four. Each team is led by an officer, and is responsible for two decks. The only exception is my team, team 4, which will consist of six men and cover three decks, 17, 18, and 19. Here are the team assignments." Sahar's thoughts drifted as he read off the assignments. She had already received hers, and was thinking about how she would organize her team. "Suit up, and report to you team leaders. Dismissed."

Sahar searched for a few minutes before finding her locker. She entered the access code and opened the locker. Inside was a suit of body armor. She stripped off her jacket, boots, and pants, leaving only her dark green undershirt and panties. She hung them in the locker and pulled on the body armor. First was a specialized jacket similar to the standard uniform jacket, except it was made from thicker, denser material resistant to penetration by shrapnel or blades. The pants were nearly identical to her normal uniform pants, but were made from the same material as the jacket. She strapped on a black armored vest and put her boots back on. The armor itself was heavy, but flexible, and covered her chest, stomach, back, shoulders, and groin, and was secured to her waist by a belt.